Liposomal cholesterol binding to steroid-free cytochrome P450scc: effects of fatty acyl and head groups in phospholipids.

The effects of fatty acyl substituents and head groups of phospholipids on the liposomal cholesterol transfer to steroid-free cytochrome P450scc were examined as a model system for ACTH-enhanced availability of cholesterol to the cytochrome in the inner membrane of adrenal cortex mitochondria. It was implicated that using a variety of saturated and unsaturated phospholipids fatty acyl groups play an important role in the transfer reaction.